This invention relates to administering personal care compositions to humans where said compositions contain sensory fragrances.
Many currently marketed fragrant cosmetic products claim to have a xe2x80x9ccalmingxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cstimulatingxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9crelaxingxe2x80x9d benefit to the user. Typically, these products possess fragrances that are purported to deliver these benefits. To support these claims, several methods have been employed to measure the effects of fragrance on physiological parameters with varying degrees of success and unfortunately, much of the evidence for these purported benefits is the subject of folklore, rather than science.
Cortisol is an adrenocortical hormone which can be found in the blood and the saliva of human beings. Cortisol is produced in the adrenal cortex and is involved in a number of neurological events. Some have found that the level of this hormone rises when an individual is subjected to psychological and physiological stress. Kirschbaum, C. and Hellhammer, D. H., xe2x80x9cSalivary Cortisol in Psychoendocrine Research: Recent Developments and Applicationsxe2x80x9d; Psychoendocrinology, Vol.19 No. 4, 1994, pp. 313-333.
Others have found that when adults are subjected to psychological stress (practicing arithmetic under stressful conditions) that their level of stress can be monitored by their salivary cortisol. Tanizawa, xe2x80x9cA Method for the Determination of the Anti-Stress Effects of Fragrancesxe2x80x9d JP Patent No.11-19076. The same researchers have shown that if the same individuals were exposed to certain fragrances before the stressful event, their level of salivary cortisol levels would not be as high as when they were psychologically challenged without the fragrance. Id. In this study, the subjects were of the age where they could perform arithmetic calculations. In addition this study showed that not all fragrances were effective at reducing the stress induced release of cortisol. Fragrances with lavender oil or mint oil successfully lowered cortisol levels, while the fragrance with skatole had the opposite effect.
Aside from cortisol levels, there are other indicators that correlate with stress levels in human beings, such as secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA). See EP 978273 (an increase in sIgA signifies an increase in relaxation) and Stone, et al., xe2x80x9cEvidence that Secretory IgA antibody is associated with daily mood,xe2x80x9d 52(5) J. Personality and Social Psychology 988-93 (1987)(xe2x80x9cStonexe2x80x9d). sIgA is a secretory immunoglobulin that is found in the saliva of human beings.
It would be desirable to find other fragrance compositions that are capable of reducing stress, and in particular to find such fragrance compositions that are capable of reducing stress in children. More specifically, when children, i.e., those having an age of about 1 day to about 12 years, are subjected to stressful situations, they do not smile, they cry and they do not sleep well. It would be most advantageous for the children if there were a method of reducing these physical symptoms of stress.
This invention relates to a method of relaxing a mammal comprising administering to said mammal a personal care composition which comprises an effective amount of a sensory fragrance, wherein the personal care composition is capable of reducing the cortisol level of the mammal by about 0.1% to about 75% and/or increasing the sIgA level of the mammal by about 10% to about 150%.
Another aspect of the present invention includes a method of relaxing a mammal comprising administering to said mammal a personal care composition which comprises an effective amount of a sensory fragrance, the sensory fragrance being comprised of, based upon the total weight of the sensory fragrance, from about 0.1% to about 8% of an essential oil portion and from about 92% to about 99.9% of an odoriferous portion, the odoriferous portion containing one or more benzenoid materials, alcohol materials, ester materials, aldehyde materials, ketone materials, or mixtures thereof, wherein the personal care composition is capable of reducing the cortisol level of the mammal by about 0.1 to about 75% and/or increasing the sIgA level of the mammal by about 10% to about 150%.